indebolimos

Indebolimos is a Portuguese verb form that translates to “we weakened.” It is the first-person plural of the pretérito perfeito simples (simple past) for the verb indebolir, a relatively uncommon or archaic term meaning to weaken or diminish the strength, resilience, or capacity of something. The noun indebolimento describes the act or result of weakening and is used in contexts such as discussions of decline in power, performance, or rigidity.

Usage and context: Indebolir and its corresponding form indebolimos are rarely used in everyday modern Portuguese. They appear mainly in historical writing, poetry, or technical prose that adopts a traditional or formal register. In contemporary usage, speakers typically employ more common verbs such as enfraquecer, debilitar, or reduzir to express weakening.

Etymology and related forms: The word indebolir is formed from a root associated with weakness and a verbal ending typical of -ir verbs. Because indebolir is not widely used outside of specialized or literary texts, its full set of conjugations is not frequently encountered in standard dictionaries. The related noun indebolimento denotes the process or outcome of weakening.

Examples: A sentença pode soar arcaica, mas um uso would be: Nós indebolimos a defesa após o ataque prolongado. Em contextos modernos, porém, seria mais natural dizer simplesmente “Nós enfraquecemos a defesa.”

See also: enfraquecer, debilitar, reduzir, enfraquecimento, debilitação.